Thoughts on Psalm 23, the “all purpose Psalm” which encouraged and refreshed me during a difficult time in the Middle East.

“‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want….’ I sure feel like I’m wanting, Lord, but you promise that my needs are being met, so I praise you for this tiredness which makes me depend more on you. Thank you for the truth that this situation is a ‘green pasture’ designed to make me grow.”

The Lord always wants us to think His thoughts and learn the depths of His truths, to see that they are sufficient in every situation. And during this time the Lord has kept us going, protected us from getting sick, and enabled us to more than fulfill the responsibilities He has given us.

In fact, fin these difficulties, He taught us how to serve Him better: since I didn’t have the strength to do all I wanted, He forced me to spend more time in prayer, and to carefully select what to do, thereby making us more effective.

One day when I was discouraged about the believers and workers as well as my inability to solve the problems, we sang a song in the fellowship “When I am weak, then I am strong….” Again, I was encouraged to spend more time praising and praying and the results of this are being seen in those around me.

What a great, wise God we have who is faithful to keep us in the Word and prayer, and to remind us to praise Him in and for all things!

Prayer: “Lord, I confess my lack of meditation on your Word. Help me to delight in it, to persistently memorize it, to personalize and pray it, getting it down into my soul so I may think your thoughts, will your will and enjoy my emotions without being controlled by them. Amen.”